Yesterday we met an Australian TV information reporter who survived a brush with dying when a bicycle owner rode previous him in a motorbike lane at an affordable pace:
Little doubt it was a terrifying ordeal, however I’m guessing he wouldn’t need to commerce place with these two riders in Texas:
Little doubt you’ve heard about this by now because it’s the most important cycling-related story within the non-cycling media since that complete factor with the chef–not as a result of persons are notably involved about cyclists getting run over, however as a result of there’s a horrific video of the incident, which I’m not going to put up right here. In any case, right here’s what occurred:
Love. It’s what makes a Subaru a Subaru:
It actually appears intentional within the video. Whether or not this was in truth the case is unclear, however being a Subaru driver he did try and apologize afterwards:
Mercifully and extremely, each riders appear to have fared significantly better than you’d presumably think about after watching the video. As soon as was handled on the scene, and the opposite appears no less than be nicely sufficient to speak to reporters–and in a twist, credit his bike for saving his life:
Right here’s why:
I’m assuming that’s a carbon fiber bicycle, and that attributable to its inherent lateral stiffness and vertical compliance it acted as a spring as per Jan Heine’s idea of planing.
Regardless of the case, hopefully each riders make full recoveries, and proceed to journey for a few years to come back–although actually experiencing one thing like this could trigger even probably the most devoted rider to query the knowledge of doing so. After I’m using on the highway I typically take into consideration how a lot belief (or slightly blind religion) we place within the drivers behind us. As they overtake me I think about what could be occurring contained in the automotive at that second to take their consideration away from the highway–often I see a hand groping round in a console for a cellphone or one thing, inflicting them to float into the shoulder–and it all the time looks as if a small miracle when this doesn’t occur and so they go me with out incident. Then there are the occasions when the do go carefully sufficient for me to really feel it in my arm hairs, and I by no means know for positive whether or not they did it to make some extent, or they had been merely oblivious to my presence as they succumbed to any one of many gazillions of petty distractions that may turn into issues of life and dying.
As cyclists we regularly really feel uniquely susceptible, and in some ways we’re. Nevertheless, you don’t must be out on the open highway for one thing like this to occur to you, nor do you even must be on a motorbike. Your life is equally topic to the whims of the strangers behind you while you’re doing one thing as mundane as ready for the subway:
“Solely” 17 folks had been hit by subway trains final yr on account of being pushed into the tracks. Whether or not you’re on a motorbike or a platform, statistically the percentages are nicely in your favor, and also you’d be out some huge cash when you had been to maintain putting wagers by yourself demise. Bike owner or a straphanger, you’ve had one million folks in your tail with out incident. Nevertheless, this doesn’t make the prospect of one in all them hitting or pushing you any much less actual, no matter whether or not they do it out of malice, negligence, or derangement. All we will do is take the same old precautions, and keep in mind the knowledge of Frank Drebin:
I meditate on these phrases just about each day.
